preseason week two - oakland raiders at ......preseason week two - oakland raiders at minnesota...

PRESEASON WEEK TWO - OAKLAND RAIDERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGSSATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015 - TCF BANK STADIUM - 7:00 p.m. CT - FOX 9

The Minnesota Vikings (7-9 in 2014 regular season) host their final preseason game at TCF Bank Stadium vs. the Oakland Raiders (3-13 in 2014 regular season) Saturday, August 22. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The game will be simulcast live locally on FOX 9 and KFAN 100.3 FM. The simulcast team features Paul Allen and Pete Bercich in the booth with Greg Coleman and Ben Leber on the sideline. The Vikings are 2-0 during the 2015 preseason, giving Mike Zimmer a perfect 6-0 record in the preseason as a head coach. The Raiders, who beat the St. Louis Rams, 18-3, in their initial preseason contest, are traveling to Minnesota for the 2nd straight preseason. The Vikings defeated the Raiders, 10-6, on August 8, 2014, in Mike Zimmer’s 1st ever game as a head coach in the NFL. The Raiders and Vikings will match up in Week 10 of the regular season in Oakland.

TELEVISION: FOX 9 (Channel 9 in Minneapolis)Play-By-Play: Paul Allen Analyst: Pete BercichSideline Reporter: Greg Coleman/Ben Leber

LOCAL RADIO: KFAN-FM 100.3/KTLK-AM 1130Play-by-Play: Paul Allen Analyst: Pete BercichSideline Reporter: Greg Coleman/Ben LeberPre-Game Show: Mike Mussman – 6:00 p.m. CSTKFAN and KTLK serve as the flagship stations for the 72-station, 6-state Vikings Radio Network.

* The Vikings have a combined record of 146-96-3 (.603) in their 245 preseason games.* The team has finished undefeated in the preseason 7 times (1964, ‘65, ‘73, ‘92, ‘98, ‘01, ‘14).* The Vikings have finished with a .500 record or better 41 times in the team’s 54 preseasons.* In the 41 previous preseasons when the Vikings have finished at .500 or better, the team hasgone on to finish at .500 or better 31 times in the ensuing regular season.* In the 13 preseasons when the Vikings have finished below .500, the team has gone on tofinish below .500 seven times in the ensuing regular season.* Mike Zimmer and the Vikings won all 4 games in the 2014 preseason before going 7-9 duringthe regular season, Zimmer’s 1st as a head coach.

2015 VIKINGS SCHEDULE (2-0)PRESEASON

Date Opponent Time (CT) TV/Result8/9 (Sun.) PITTSBURGH (Canton) 7:00 p.m. W, 14-38/15 (Sat.) TAMPA BAY 7:00 p.m. W, 26-168/22 (Sat.) OAKLAND 7:00 p.m. FOX 9 8/29 (Sat.) at Dallas 6:00 p.m. FOX 99/3 (Thurs.) at Tennessee 7:00 p.m. FOX 9

REGULAR SEASONDate Opponent Time (CT) TV9/14 (Mon.) at San Francisco 9:20 p.m. ESPN9/20 (Sun.) DETROIT Noon FOX9/27 (Sun.) SAN DIEGO Noon CBS10/4 (Sun.) at Denver 3:25 p.m. FOX10/11 (Sun.) BYE WEEK10/18 (Sun.) KANSAS CITY Noon CBS10/25 (Sun.) at Detroit Noon FOX11/1 (Sun.) at Chicago Noon FOX11/8 (Sun.) ST. LOUIS Noon FOX11/15 (Sun.) at Oakland 3:05 p.m. FOX 11/22 (Sun.) GREEN BAY Noon FOX11/29 (Sun.) at Atlanta Noon FOX12/6 (Sun.) SEATTLE Noon FOX12/10 (Thurs.) at Arizona 7:25 p.m. NFLN12/20 (Sun.) CHICAGO Noon FOX12/27 (Sun.) NEW YORK GIANTS Noon FOX1/3/16 (Sun.) at Green Bay Noon FOXAll preseason and regular season games will be radio broadcast on KFAN/KTLK (FM 100.3)

WEEKLY MEDIA SCHEDULETuesday, August 1811:30 a.m. – Zimmer press conference2:50 p.m. – PracticeWednesday, August 1911:10 a.m. – Players available and Edwards/Priefer press conferences2:50 p.m. – PracticeThursday, August 2011:10 a.m. – Players available and Zimmer press conference2:50 p.m. – PracticeFriday, August 21No Media AccessSaturday, August 227:00 p.m. – Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings on FOX 9Sunday, August 23Players Day Off – No Media AccessMonday, August 17Player availability and Zimmer press conference at Winter Park*Filming is allowed for a portion of practice*No tweeting or blogging information pertaining to practice during practice times

GAME SUMMARY

BROADCAST COVERAGE

VIKINGS IN THE PRESEASON

Home (Series Record; Home Series Record) Away (Series Record; Away Series Record)NFC North NFC North Chicago Bears (55-51-2; 34-21-0) Chicago Bears (55-51-2; 21-30-2) Detroit Lions (69-36-2; 38-14-1) Detroit Lions (69-36-2; 31-22-1) Green Bay Packers (49-58-2; 26-27-0) Green Bay Packers (49-58-2; 23-31-2)NFC West NFC West St. Louis Rams (25-16-2; 14-3-2) San Francisco 49ers (22-22-1; 8-13-1) Seattle Seahawks (5-8-0; 3-2-0) Arizona Cardinals (15-10-0; 6-6-0)AFC West AFC West San Diego Chargers (5-6-0; 4-3-0) Denver Broncos (7-6-0; 3-3-0) Kansas City Chiefs (4-7-0; 3-2-0) Oakland Raiders (4-10-0; 1-5-0)NFC East NFC South New York Giants (14-12-0; 6-5-0) Atlanta Falcons (16-11-0; 6-7-0)

2014 Playoff Teams In Bold

2015 REGULAR SEASON OPPONENTS

P S 2 - R A I D E R S A T V I K I N G S - 2

VIKINGS-RAIDERS GAME INFORMATION

Chad Greenway ..........................................2 games, 29 tackles (17 solo), 1 sack, 1 INTMike Wallace ..............................................4 games, 16 catches, 293 yards, 3 TDsShaun Hill ...................................................1 game, 13-22, 183 yards, 2 TDs, 116.3 QB RatingBrian Robison .............................................2 games, 2.0 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR

* TE Kyle Rudolph caught his 1st career touchdown pass on a 1-yard throw from Christian Ponder against Oakland on 11/20/11.

* LB Chad Greenway recorded a career-best 22 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss against Oakland on 11/20/11.

* WR Mike Wallace has 2 career 100-yard receiving games against the Raiders. On 11/21/10, Wallace caught 3 passes for 116 yards, including a 52-yard TD vs. the Raiders. On 9/23/12, he brought in 8 passes for 123 yards and a TD at Oakland.

Record vs. Raiders ........................................................................................Raiders 10-4Last regular season game ........................................Raiders 27, Vikings 21 (2011)Vikings largest winning margin .....................11; Vikings 31, Raiders 20 (1987)Raiders largest winning margin ....................26; Raiders 36, Vikings 10 (1981)Current series streak ........................................................................................ Raiders 1Vikings longest win streak .......................... 1, 4 times (1973, 1987, 1996, 2007)Raiders longest win streak ................................................................... 5 (1976-1984)Most Points, Vikings ......................................................................................... 31 (1987)Most Points, Raiders ......................................................................................... 36 (1981)Most Points, both teams ................................................................................. 52 (1990)Fewest Points, Vikings ........................................................................................7 (2012)Fewest Points, Raiders ..................................................................................... 13 (1996)Fewest Points, both teams ...................... 29; Vikings 16, Raiders 13 (OT) (1996)

Vikings-Raiders Connections• Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner served as the Oakland Raiders

head coach from 2004-05.• Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio finished his playing career in the NFL with

the Vikings from 1992-95.• Raiders QB coach Todd Downing worked for the Vikings as an intern and

coaching assistant from 2001-02, football systems analyst from 2003-04 and served as offensive quality control coach for the Vikings in 2005.

• Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave served in the same role for the Vikings from 2011-13.

• Raiders offensive line coach Mike Tice served as the tight ends coach for the Vikings in 1996, offensive line/assistant head coach from 1997-2001, interim head coach in 2001 and head coach from 2002-05.

• Vikings CB DeMarcus Van Dyke was a 3rd-round pick for the Raiders in 2011 and played in 14 games making 4 starts during his 1 season in Oakland.

• Vikings signed Raiders WR Andre Holmes as an undrafted free agent in 2011. Holmes spent training camp with the Vikings before being released before the regular season.

• Vikings signed Raiders T Donald Penn as an undrafted free agent in 2006 and was a member of Minnesota’s practice squad that year.

• Raiders QB Christian Ponder was the Vikings’ 1st-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and played for the Vikings from 2011-14, starting 36 games for the club.

• Raiders G J’Marcus Webb had stints with the Vikings in 2013 and ‘14.Local Connections• Raiders QB coach Todd Downing is from Eden Prairie, MN and coached

Eden Prairie High School, his alma mater, from 1999-2000. He graduated from University of Minnesota in 2002 and played for Minnesota’s semi-pro team, the Minnesota Maulers from 2000-02.

College Connections• Vikings 7th-round pick from the 2015 NFL Draft G Austin Shepherd played

for Alabama (2010-14) with Raiders WR Amari Cooper (2012-14) and Raid-ers RB Trent Richardson (2009-11).

• Vikings CB Josh Thomas played at Buffalo for one season with Raiders LB Khalil Mack.

• Vikings WR Jordan Leslie played for BYU in 2014, along with Raiders rookie DB Rob Daniel.

• Vikings DT Linval Joseph played for East Carolina from 2007-09 with Raid-ers DE C.J. Wilson, who played there from 2006-10.

• 5 Florida State alumni are rostered for this game: CB Xavier Rhodes (2009-12), Raiders QB Christian Ponder (2007-10), Raiders C Rodney Hudson (2007-10), Raiders T Menelik Watson (2012) and Raiders DE Mario Ed-wards (2012-14).

• 4 players from Florida are rostered in the contest: Vikings DT Sharrif Floyd (2010-12), Vikings DE Justin Trattou (2007-10), Raiders OLB Neiron Ball (2011-14) and Raiders DT Leon Orr (2010-13).

• Vikings K Blair Walsh played at Georgia for one season with Raiders WR Kris Durham.

• Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater and DE B.J. Dubose were teammates with Oakland RB Michael Dyer at Louisville in 2013.

• Vikings TE Chase Ford played for Miami (Florida) with 3 Raiders: LB Ray-Ray Armstrong, G Jon Feliciano and TE Clive Walford.

• Raiders RB George Atkinson III played at Notre Dame from 2011-13 with Vikings UDFA 2015 WR Davaris Daniels, who played from 2011-14.

• Raiders DE Justin Tuck (2001-04) and Vikings C John Sullivan (2003-06) played at Notre Dame together.

• Vikings WR Donte Foster played at Ohio from 2009-13 with Raiders CB T.J. Carrie (2008-13).

• Raiders LB Curtis Lofton played at Oklahoma from 2005-07 with Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (2004-06) and T Phil Loadholt (2007-08).

• Raiders CB Chimdi Chekwa played at Oregon State with Vikings DE Scott Crichton.

• Vikings S Antone Exum Jr. played at Virginia Tech from 2010-13 with Raid-ers LB Chase Williams (2011-14).

• Vikings S Anthony Harris played at Virginia with Raiders DE Max Valles. Both players were coached by current Vikings head strength and condition-ing coach Evan Marcus while at Virginia.

• Vikings DE Caesar Rayford (05-07), Raiders OL Kalif Barnes (2001-04), and Raiders FB Marcel Reece (2006-07) all played together at University of Washington.

• 4 USC Trojans are rostered for this game: Raiders LB Malcolm Smith (2007-10), Vikings T Matt Kalil (2008-11), Vikings TE Rhett Ellison (2008-11) and Vikings DE Everson Griffen (2007-09).

• Vikings WR Jordan Leslie and Raiders LB Horace Miller played together at Texas- El Paso from 2011-13. Vikings RB Joe Banyard also played at Texas- El Paso with them in 2011.

• Raiders QB Matt McGloin, Vikings LB Gerald Hodges, and Vikings LB Mi-chael Mauti all played at Penn State together from 2009-11.

• 3 players from Univeristy of Tennessee are on Oakland and Minnesota’s ros-

VIKINGS-RAIDERS SERIES BY THE NUMBERS

VIKINGS BIG DAYS VS. RAIDERS VIKINGS-RAIDERS CONNECTIONS

VIKINGS PERFORMANCES VS. RAIDERS

Raiders QB Christian Ponder and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave helped the Vikings to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth in 2012. Ponder started all 16 regular season games but missed the playoff game at Green Bay due to injury.


VIKINGS-RAIDERS GAME INFORMATION

2014 Minnesota VikingsQualifying Players Only/2014 Regular Season NFL Rankings

Category Player Total NFC Rank NFL RankScoring Walsh .................................107 ................ 10 ..........................20Passing Yds. Bridgewater# ..............2,919 ................ 11 ..........................23Passing TDs Bridgewater# ....................14 ................ 11 ..........................23Passer Rating Bridgewater# .................85.2 ................ 12 ..........................22Completion Pct. Bridgewater# .................64.4 ..................6 ...........................11Rushing Att. Asiata.................................164 ................ 16 ..........................27Rushing Yds. Asiata.................................570 ................ 18 ..........................32Rushing TDs Asiata..................................... 9 .................3t .......................... 3tReceptions Jennings .............................59 ................29t .........................58Receiving Yds. Jennings ...........................742 ................ 29 ..........................58Receiving TDs Jennings ............................... 6 ................ 15 .........................27tTackles Blanton .............................106 ................11t ........................26tInterceptions Smith ..................................... 5 .................2t .......................... 3tFumble Rec. Barr# ..................................... 3 .................1t .......................... 3tSacks Griffen ..............................12.0 ..................4 ........................... 9tFGs Made Walsh ...................................26 ..................7 ..........................15tFG Pct. Walsh ................................74.2 ................ 15 ..........................31Net Punting Avg. Locke ................................38.7 ..................9 ...........................21Punt Ret. Avg. Sherels .............................11.0 ..................3 ............................6KO Ret. Avg. Patterson.........................25.6 ..................2 ........................... 6t#Rookie

2014 Oakland RaidersCategory Player Total AFC Rank NFL RankScoring Janikowski .........................85 ................ 14 ..........................30Passing Yds. Carr# ..............................3,270 ..................8 ...........................15Passing TDs Carr# ....................................21 ................ 10 ..........................19Passer Rating Carr# .................................76.6 ................ 13 ..........................30Completion Pct. Carr# .................................58.1 ................ 14 ..........................30Rushing Att. McFadden ........................155 ................14t ........................30tRushing Yds. McFadden ........................534 ................ 17 ..........................37Rushing TDs Two Tied ............................... 2 ................25t ........................51tReceptions Jones ...................................73 ................ 15 .........................29tReceiving Yds. Jones .................................666 ................ 34 ..........................68Receiving TDs Jones ..................................... 6 ................15t ........................29tInterceptions Woodson.............................. 4 .................4t .......................... 8tForced Fum. Tuck ....................................... 2 ................12t ........................32tSacks Tuck ....................................5.0 ................34t ........................71tFGs Made Janikowski .........................19 ................14t ........................28tFG Pct. Janikowski ......................86.4 .................6t .........................11tNet Punting Avg. King...................................40.0 ..................6 ...........................11Punt Ret. Avg. Carrie ..................................7.5 ..................9 ...........................18KO Ret. Avg. Murray# ...........................22.6 ..............DNQ#Rookie

PRESEASON WEEK 2THURSDAY, AUGUST 20Detroit at Washington ................................................................................................ 6:30Buffalo at Cleveland .................................................................................................... 7:00FRIDAY, AUGUST 21Atlanta at New York Jets ............................................................................................. 6:30Seattle at Kansas City .................................................................................................. 7:00SATURDAY, AUGUST 22Oakland at Minnesota ........................................................................... 7:00Miami at Carolina ......................................................................................................... 6:00Baltimore at Philadelphia .......................................................................................... 6:00Chicago at Indianapolis ............................................................................................. 6:30New England at New Orleans .................................................................................. 6:30Jacksonville at New York Giants .............................................................................. 6:30Denver at Houston ....................................................................................................... 7:00San Diego at Arizona ................................................................................................... 9:00SUNDAY, AUGUST 23Green Bay at Pittsburgh ............................................................................................. 7:00Dallas at San Francisco ............................................................................................... 7:00St. Louis at Tennessee ................................................................................................. 7:00MONDAY, AUGUST 24 Cincinnati at Tampa Bay ............................................................................................. 7:00All time are central

2014 NFL rankings in parenthesis Vikings Raiders 7-9 Record 3-13 325.......................................Total Points Scored ......................................253 20.3 .........................................Points Per Game ........................................ 15.8 283..................................Offensive Points Scored..................................239 288...............................................First Downs ..............................................248 315.5 (27) ........................... Total Offense Per Game ................................ 282.2 5.1 ....................................... Avg. Yards Per Play ........................................4.5 112.8 (14) ......................Net Rushing Yards Per Game ............................ 77.5 202.8 (28) .......................Net Passing Yards Per Game ........................... 204.7 18/241 .....................Had Intercepted/Yards Returned .....................16/357 20 ...........................................Total Giveaways ........................................... 29 51/322 ............................ Sacks Allowed/Yards Lost .............................28/181 28:43 .................................... Possession Average .................................... 28:20 82/211 ................................Third Down Efficiency .................................80/236 6/12 ................................. Fourth Down Efficiency ................................. 9/15 100/836 ......................................Penalties/Yards ..................................... 116/939 343................................. Opp. Total Points Scored .................................452 21.4 ...................................Opp. Points Per Game ................................... 28.3 327...........................Total Offensive Points Allowed ..........................417 321.........................................Opp. First Downs .........................................320344.7 (14) .........................Opp. Total Offense Per Game .......................... 357.6 5.4 ................................. Opp. Avg. Yards Per Play ..................................5.5 121.4 (25) ................ Opp. Net Rushing Yards Per Game ..................... 119.4 223.3 (7) ...................Opp. Net Passing Yards Per Game ...................... 238.1 112/938 ................................Opp. Penalties/Yards ................................ 116/941 13/201 .............Defensive Interceptions/Yards Returned ............... 9/76 19 ...........................................Total Takeaways........................................... 14 41/217 ............................... Defensive Sacks/Yards ................................22/157 -1 ............................................ Turnover Ratio ...........................................- 15 76/38.7 .............................. Punts/Net Punting Avg. .............................109/40.0

Team Total Games All-Time Series Titles*Green Bay Packers .............109 ..................... 49-58-2 ................................ 7Chicago Bears ....................107 ......................54-51-2 ................................ 2Detroit Lions ......................107 ..................... 69-36-2 ................................ 0

* Since 2002 division realignment

The following numbers are combined NFC Central and NFC North:

Playoff Appearances Division Titles27 ................ Minnesota Vikings 16................. Minnesota Vikings 24 ................... Green Bay Packers 11.................... Green Bay Packers 15 .......................... Chicago Bears 10 .......................... Chicago Bears 11 ............................Detroit Lions 3 .............................Detroit Lions 6 ............Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3 .............Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Team W L T Pct. PF PA Home Away Conf. Divz-Green Bay 12 4 0 .750 486 348 8-0-0 4-4-0 9-3-0 5-1-0y-Detroit 11 5 0 .688 321 282 7-1-0 4-4-0 9-3-0 5-1-0Minnesota 7 9 0 .438 325 343 5-3-0 2-6-0 6-6-0 1-5-0Chicago 5 11 0 .313 319 442 2-6-0 3-5-0 4-8-0 1-5-0y-clinched wild card z-clinched division

2014 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS 2014 STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT

2014 NFC NORTH STANDINGS

VIKINGS VS. NFC NORTH

Visit http://vikings.1stroundmediagroup.com to access all Vikings media publications including the 2015 Vikings Media Guide and weekly releases. Archived media guides and weekly releases are also available on the site.

VIKINGS 1ST ROUND MEDIA GROUP

2015 PRESEASON WEEK TWO SCHEDULE

http://vikings.1stroundmediagroup.com


VIKINGS 2015 PRESEASON STATISTICSWon 2, Lost 08/9 W, 14-3 vs. Pittsburgh 51,7528/15 W, 26-16 vs. Tampa Bay 50,610

Minnesota Opponent Total First Downs 32 29Rushing 11 7Passing 21 19Penalty 0 33rd Down: Made/Att 5/23 10/313rd Down Pct. 21.7% 32.3%4th Down: Made/Att 0/1 1/24th Down Pct. 0.0% 50.0%Possession Avg. 31:02 28:58Total Net Yards 633 502Avg. Per Game 316.5 251.0Total Plays 119 127Avg. Per Play 5.3 4.0Net Yards Rushing 190 157Avg. Per Game 95.0 78.5Total Rushes 58 51Net Yards Passing 443 345Avg. Per Game 221.5 172.5Sacked/Yards Lost 2/11 5/36Gross Yards 454 381Attempts/Completions 5 9/46 71/35Completion Pct. 78.0% 49.3%Had Intercepted 1 2Punts/Average 11/40.5 15/48.3Net Punting Avg. 37.6 33.6Penalties/Yards 13/128 12/65Fumbles/Ball Lost 3/3 3/1Touchdowns 5 2Rushing 2 2Passing 3 0Returns 0 0

Score By Periods Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT Pts Vikings 9 21 10 0 0 40Opponents 3 9 7 0 0 19 Scoring TD Ru Pa Rt PAT FG 2Pt Pts B.Walsh 0 0 0 0 4/4 2/3 0 10Z.Line 1 1 0 0 0/0 0/0 0 6A.Thielen 1 0 1 0 0/0 0/0 0 6C.Patterson 1 0 1 0 0/0 0/0 0 6M.Pruitt 1 0 1 0 0/0 0/0 0 6J.Banyard 1 1 0 0 0/0 0/0 0 6Vikings 5 2 3 0 4/4 2/3 0 40Opponents 2 2 0 0 1/1 2/3 0 19

2-Pt. Conversions: Team 0/1, Opponents: 0/1Sacks: E.Griffen 1.0, E.Kendricks 1.0, T.Johnson 1.0, G.Hodges 1.0, S.Stephen 1.0 Vikings: 5.0, Opponents: 2.0

RUSHING No. Yds Avg Long TDD.Williams 8 55 6.9 16 0D.Harris 10 44 4.4 9 0M.Asiata 10 43 4.3 18 0J.Banyard 11 24 2.2 11 1Z.Line 4 18 4.5 9 1T.Bridgewater 1 6 6.0 6 0J.McKinnon 7 5 0.7 5 0B.Renaud 1 2 2.0 2 0M.Wallace 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0T.Heinicke 5 -6 -1.2 -1 0Vikings 58 190 3.3 18 2Opponents 51 157 3.1 15 2 RECEIVING No. Yds Avg Long TDA.Thielen 5 82 16.4 39 1J.Wright 4 64 16.0 26 0M.Pruitt 4 51 12.8 34t 1K.Rudolph 4 46 11.5 18 0S.Diggs 4 40 10.0 15 0C.Patterson 3 35 11.7 21t 1J.McKinnon 3 23 7.7 13 0M.Asiata 3 18 6.0 8 0Z.Line 3 15 5.0 9 0R.Whalen 2 22 11.0 16 0I.Fruechte 2 16 8.0 8 0D.Harris 2 12 6.0 6 0D.Williams 2 8 4.0 4 0C.Ford 1 12 12.0 12 0D.Foster 1 4 4.0 4 0J.Banyard 1 3 3.0 3 0M.Wallace 1 2 2.0 2 0C.Johnson 1 1 1.0 1 0Vikings 46 454 9.9 39 3Opponents 35 381 10.9 40 0

INTERCEPTIONS No. Yds Avg Long TD A.Exum 1 34 34.0 34 0B.Peters 1 0 0.0 0 0Vikings 2 34 17.0 34 0Opponents 1 4 4.0 4 0

PUNTING No. Yds Avg Net TB In20 Lg BJ.Locke 11 445 40.5 37.6 1 6 58 0Vikings 11 445 40.5 37.6 1 6 58 0Opponents 15 724 48.3 33.6 1 0 62 0

PUNT RETURNS Ret FC Yds Avg Long TDS.Diggs 5 1 121 24.2 62 0A.Thielen 3 1 36 12.0 16 0M.Sherels 2 1 43 21.5 24 0Vikings 10 3 200 20.0 62 0Opponents 4 4 11 2.8 13 0

KICKOFF RETURNS No. Yds Avg Long TDC.Patterson 2 50 25.0 26 0M.Sherels 1 32 32.0 32 0D.Harris 1 24 24.0 24 0J.Banyard 1 22 22.0 22 0Vikings 5 128 25.6 32 0Opponents 5 115 23.0 34 0 FIELD GOALS 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+B.Walsh 0/ 0 0/ 0 0/ 0 2/ 3 0/ 0Vikings 0/ 0 0/ 0 0/ 0 2/ 3 0/ 0Opponents 0/ 0 0/ 0 2/ 2 0/ 1 0/ 0

Fumbles Lost: J.Banyard 1, Z.Line 1, D.Williams 1 Total: 3Opponent Fumble Recoveries: A.Exum 1 Total: 1

Walsh: (48 WR), (46), (42)Opponent: (36), (32), (42WR)

PASSING Att Cmp Yds Cmp% Yds/Att TD TD% Int Int% Long Sack RatingT.Heinicke 26 19 154 73.1% 5.9 0 0.0% 1 3.8% 16 1/2 71.6T.Bridgewater 14 12 130 85.7% 9.3 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 26 0/0 105.3S.Hill 9 8 104 88.9% 11.6 2 22.2% 0 0.0% 39 1/9 154.4M.Kafka 10 7 66 70.0% 6.6 1 10.0% 0 0.0% 34t 0/0 121.3Vikings 59 46 454 78.0% 7.7 3 5.1% 1 1.7% 39 2/11 108.6Opponents 71 35 381 49.3% 5.4 0 0.0% 2 2.8% 40 5/36 53.8


VIKINGS 2015 PRESEASON STATISTICS

TKL AST COMB SACK TFL QBH INT PD FF FREric Kendricks 6 2 8 1.0 2.0 1 0 1 0 0Andrew Sendejo 5 2 7 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Anthony Harris 5 1 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Trae Waynes 5 1 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Shamar Stephen 5 0 5 1.0 1.0 1 0 0 0 0Tom Johnson 5 0 5 1.0 1.0 3 0 0 0 0Gerald Hodges 5 0 5 1.0 1.0 1 0 0 0 0Brian Peters 5 0 5 0.0 0.0 0 1 1 0 0Audie Cole 4 1 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 1 0Danielle Hunter 4 1 5 0.0 0.0 1 0 0 0 0Shaun Prater 4 0 4 0.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0Brandon Watts 2 2 4 0.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0Robert Blanton 3 0 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0Linval Joseph 3 0 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Justin Coleman 3 0 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Chigbo Anunoby 2 1 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Harrison Smith 2 1 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Jabari Price 2 0 2 0.0 1.0 0 0 2 0 0Marcus Sherels 2 0 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Josh Kaddu 2 0 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Justin Trattou 1 1 2 0.0 0.0 2 0 1 0 0Everson Griffen 1 0 1 1.0 1.0 1 0 0 0 0Edmond Robinson 1 0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Josh Thomas 1 0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Leon Mackey 1 0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Michael Mauti 1 0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Xavier Rhodes 1 0 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0Captain Munnerlyn 1 0 1 0.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0Chad Greenway 1 0 1 0.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0Antone Exum 0 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 1 1 0 1Jalil Carter 0 1 1 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0TOTALS 83 15 98 5.0 11.0 10 2 7 1 1

SACKSE. Griffen 1.0E. Kendricks 1.0G. Hodges 1.0S. Stephen 1.0T. Johnson 1.0TOTALS 5.0

TFLE. Kendricks 2.0B. Watts 1.0C. Greenway 1.0 C. Munnerlyn 1.0E. Griffen 1.0G.Hodges 1.0J. Price 1.0S. Prater 1.0S. Stephen 1.0T. Johnson 1.0TOTALS 11.0

QBHT. Johnson 3J. Trattou 2D. Hunter 1E. Griffen 1E. Kendricks 1G. Hodges 1S. Stephen 1TOTALS 10

PDJ. Price 2A. Exum 1B. Peters 1 E. Kendricks 1J. Trattou 1R. Blanton 1TOTALS 7

TACKLES FOR LOSS

QUARTERBACK HURRIES

QUARTERBACK HURRIESPASSES DEFENSED

SACKS

SOLO AST TOT FF FR BLE. Robinson 2 0 2 0 0 0A. Sendejo 1 0 1 0 0 0D. Hunter 1 0 1 0 0 0E. Kendricks 1 0 1 0 0 0J. Thomas 1 0 1 0 0 0J. Trattou 1 0 1 0 0 0M. Sherels 1 0 1 0 0 0TOTALS 8 0 8 0 0 0

SPECIAL TEAMS


HEAD COACH MIKE ZIMMER

NFL Head Coach: 2nd yearOverall NFL Experience: 22nd YearCoaching Experience: 37th YearOverall NFL Record: 7-9Regular Season: 7-9Postseason: 0-0Record with MIN: 7-9

Mike Zimmer held true to his football principles in his 1st season as the Vikings Head Coach in 2014. The Vikings defense made vast improvements over the previous sea-son, highlighted by jumping from #32 in the NFL in of-fensive points allowed to #13 and going from #31 in pass defense to #7. The improved defesense, combined with the emergence of rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater in the

final month of the season, gives the Vikings a strong starting point for the 2015 campaign. Zimmer was hired as the 9th Head Coach in Vikings history on January 15, 2014. A vet-

eran defensive coordinator, Zimmer enters his 22nd season on an NFL sideline in 2015. The 2014 Vikings turned to Bridgewater to start 12 games of his rookie season and he

responded with a 6-6 record, going 3-2 in his final 5 starts and set virtually every frachise record for a rookie QB. Bridgewater ranked among the NFL leaders in completion percent-age and passer rating in the month of December and gained confidence with each start.

The Vikings offense battled through injuries that forced the offensive line to use 8 dif-ferent starters and turn to their 3rd-team RB as the primary ball carrier.

Defensively, the 2014 Vikings had 8 different regular starters compared to the 2013 unit and improved from #31 in total defense to #14 in the NFL with the new lineup. The Vikings #7 ranking in the NFL in passing defense was the highest finish since the 1993 sea-son when the club was #6. The Vikings had a 113-point improvement in offensive points allowed from 2013 to 2014, the biggest improvement in the NFL in that span. The 2014 squad allowed 20.3 points per game, compared with 27.4 the previous season. The Vikings also ranked #5 in the NFL by allowing only 50 plays of 20+ yards, highlighted by ranking tied for #2 in the league by allowing only 6 runs of 20+.

Zimmer has been a part of 11 playoff teams in his NFL tenure and teams that have won 7 Division titles. He coached the Cowboys DBs when the team won Super Bowl XXX over Pittsburgh after the 1995 season. From 2009-13, Zimmer’s Bengals defenses ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in total defense 4 times, climbing to #3 in 2013. From 2011-13, the Bengals ranked #2 in the NFL with 139 sacks (46.3 per season) and have allowed 18.8 points per game, ranking #4 in the NFL in points allowed. The 2013 Bengals posted 20 INTs, the 5th-best mark in the NFL.

Zimmer’s arrival in Cincinnati for the 2008 season signaled a franchise turnaround on the defensive side of the ball. The Bengals notched top-10 defensive rankings in 2009, ’11, ’12 and ’13 after only cracking the NFL’s top 10 once in 18 seasons prior to Zimmer joining the team. During his tenure, Zimmer coached Geno Atkins as he became one of the top DTs in the NFL, earning consensus All-Pro honors in 2012 and Pro Bowl berths in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, LB Vontaze Burfict continued his rise from an undrafted rookie free agent in 2012 to a Pro Bowler in 2013. Atkins became the 1st Bengals defensive lineman since Tim Krumrie in 1988 to earn a Pro Bowl trip and Burfict was the 1st Bengals LB to be honored since Jim LeClair in 1976. Over the 2012 and 2013 seasons, the Bengals had 4 different players earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors- Michael Johnson, Carlos Dunlap, Atkins and Burfict.

Zimmer led top-10 defenses for Dallas in both a 4-3 and 3-4 scheme. The 2003 Cowboys defense ranked #1 in the NFL with only 253.3 yards per game allowed. During Zimmer’s tenure in Dallas as DBs coach (1994-99) and Defensive Coordinator (2000-06) the team ranked in the top 5 of NFL scoring defense a total of 6 times. The 1995 Cowboys hoisted

the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XXX with a win over Pittsburgh and one of Zimmer’s pupils, CB Larry Brown, won the Super Bowl MVP award with a pair of INTs in the game. Brown is 1 of only 3 DBs to earn Super Bowl MVP honors in the history of the game.

Before moving to the NFL ranks, Zimmer spent 15 seasons coaching at the collegiate level. He spent his final 5 seasons in the college ranks as defensive coordinator at Washing-ton State from 1989-93. Zimmer was at Weber State from 1981-88, serving as defensive co-ordinator from ‘83-88. He entered the profession at Missouri as an assistant from 1979-80.

Zimmer played QB and later LB at Illinois State, earning a degree in physical educa-tion. He has 3 children- son, Adam, and daughters Corri and Marki. Adam is coaching the Vikings LBs after having spent time with Kansas City, New Orleans and Cincinnati as an assistant LBs and DBs coach. The father-son duo has both earned Super Bowl titles with Adam’s coming following the 2009 season when the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV over In-dianapolis. Coaching is a family tradition with the Zimmers as Mike’s father, Bill, earned Illinois Hall of Fame honors as a prep football and wrestling coach. Zimmer played football, baseball and wrestled at Lockport Township High School in suburban Chicago. Both Bill and Mike Zimmer have been inducted into the Lockport Hall of Fame and Bill is also in the Bradley University (Peoria, IL) Hall of Fame.

Vikki Zimmer, Mike’s wife of 27 years, passed away in Cincinnati on October 8, 2009. The Pro Football Writers of America recognized Zimmer overcoming the tragedy and the Ben-gals #4 ranked defense playing a key role in winning then AFC North title by voting him the winner of the Halas Award for the season, an annual award presented to the individual in the NFL that overcame the most adversity to succeed.

ZIMMER’S COACHING BACKGROUNDYear .......................Team ............................Position .......................... W-L-T...............Result .......................................................................... NFL Ranking Yds/Off Pts allowed1979 .............................Missouri ..............................Assistant Coach ................... 7-5 ....................... Hall of Fame Bowl (W) ....................................................................................................1980 .............................Missouri ..............................Assistant Coach ................... 8-4 ....................... Liberty Bowl (L).................................................................................................................1981 .............................Weber State .......................Assistant Coach ................... 7-4 ........................................................................................................................................................................1982 .............................Weber State .......................Assistant Coach ................... 4-7 ........................................................................................................................................................................1983 .............................Weber State .......................Def. Coordinator ................. 6-5 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1984 .............................Weber State .......................Def. Coordinator ................. 5-6 ........................................................................................................................................................................1985 .............................Weber State .......................Def. Coordinator ................. 6-5 ........................................................................................................................................................................1986 .............................Weber State .......................Def. Coordinator ................. 3-8 ........................................................................................................................................................................1987 .............................Weber State .......................Def. Coordinator ................. 10-3 ..................... FCS Playoffs – 2nd Round .............................................................................................1988 .............................Weber State .......................Def. Coordinator ................. 5-6 ........................................................................................................................................................................1989 .............................Washington State ............Def. Coordinator ................. 6-5 ........................................................................................................................................................................1990 .............................Washington State ............Def. Coordinator ................. 3-8 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1991 .............................Washington State ............Def. Coordinator ................. 4-7 ........................................................................................................................................................................1992 .............................Washington State ............Def. Coordinator ................. 9-3 ....................... Copper Bowl ......................................................................................................................1993 .............................Washington State ............Def. Coordinator ................. 5-6 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1994 .............................Dallas ...................................DBs ........................................... 12-4 ..................... NFC East Champs, NFC Championship Game .......................................................1995 .............................Dallas ...................................DBs ........................................... 12-4 ..................... NFC East Champs, Super Bowl XXX Champions ...................................................1996 .............................Dallas ...................................DBs ........................................... 10-6 ..................... NFC East Champs, Divisional .......................................................................................1997 .............................Dallas ...................................DBs ........................................... 6-10 ......................................................................................................................................................................1998 .............................Dallas ...................................DBs ........................................... 10-6 ..................... NFC East Champs, Wild Card........................................................................................1999 .............................Dallas ...................................DBs ........................................... 8-8 ....................... Wild Card ............................................................................................................................ 2000 .............................Dallas ...................................Def. Coordinator ................. 5-11 ................................................................................................................................................................19/212001 .............................Dallas ...................................Def. Coordinator ................. 5-11 .................................................................................................................................................................4/192002 .............................Dallas ...................................Def. Coordinator ................. 5-11 ................................................................................................................................................................18/122003 .............................Dallas ...................................Def. Coordinator ................. 10-6 ..................... NFC East Champs, Wild Card.................................................................................... 1/42004 .............................Dallas ...................................Def. Coordinator ................. 6-10 ................................................................................................................................................................16/272005 .............................Dallas ...................................Def. Coordinator ................. 9-7 ..................................................................................................................................................................10/112006 .............................Dallas ...................................Def. Coordinator ................. 9-7 ....................... Wild Card .....................................................................................................................13/21t2007 .............................Atlanta .................................Def. Coordinator ................. 4-12 ...............................................................................................................................................................29/25t2008 .............................Cincinnati ...........................Def. Coordinator ................. 4-11-1 .............................................................................................................................................................12/12009 .............................Cincinnati ...........................Def. Coordinator ................. 10-6 ..................... AFC North Champs, Wild Card ............................................................................... 4/8t2010 .............................Cincinnati ...........................Def. Coordinator ................. 4-12 ................................................................................................................................................................15/192011 .............................Cincinnati ...........................Def. Coordinator ................. 9-7 ....................... Wild Card ........................................................................................................................ 7/92012 .............................Cincinnati ...........................Def. Coordinator ................. 10-6 ..................... Wild Card ........................................................................................................................ 6/62013 .............................Cincinnati ...........................Def. Coordinator ................. 11-5 ..................... AFC North Champs, Wild Card ................................................................................ 3/42014 .............................Minnesota ..........................Head Coach .......................... 7-9 ................................................................................................................................................................. 14 /13

MIKE ZIMMER

Zimmer’s BackgroundPlayer1974-76 .............. Illinois State (QB/LB)Coach1979 .................... Missouri (Assistant Coach)1981-82 .............. Weber State (Assistant Coach1983-88 .............. Weber State (Defensive Coordinator)1989-93 .............. Washington State (Defensive Coordinator)1994-1999 ......... Dallas Cowboys (Assistant Coach)2000-06 .............. Dallas Cowboys (Defensive Coordinator)2007 .................... Atlanta Falcons (Defensive Coordinator)2008-13 .............. Cincinnati Bengals (Defensive Coordinator)2014- ................... Minnesota Vikings (Head Coach)


MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2015Vikings Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner

First thing, obviously our thoughts and prayers are with Coach Zimmer and his mom and his family. Obviously a very tough time for him. From an injury standpoint from the game, the only update I can give you is Phil Loadholt and it’s been reported – it’s accurate – that he tore his Achilles and obviously there’s a plan for him to have it surgically repaired and we hope he can recover from that and move on with his career. Anything else, I think you should just wait until Coach Zimmer is back. I think we felt we made progress in the game. We played a week better than we did in the Hall of Fame Game. I think we’ve got a lot of young guys that are making progress, I speak specifically about the offense. And I’m anxious to get back here. We have a really good week, training camp-type week, training camp-type practices Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday before we prepare for the Raiders.

Q: Is there a date set for Phil Loadholt’s surgery?A: I don’t know those details. It’s been reported so much about Phil, I wanted to confirm that and then Coach Zimmer will give the update when he gets back.

Q: Can T.J. Clemmings take some inspiration from Mike Harris after he played four years at right tackle in San Diego? And how do you prepare T.J. for the position and situ-ation?A: Well, the biggest thing is I talked to the offensive guys today and the biggest downside about the NFL and the hardest thing is there are injuries involved. When you come into a train-ing camp, people think this guy is a long shot or this guy is just there for camp and he’s going to be gone. I emphasize to our guys there are a lot of things that happen over the five or six weeks during camp. If you get down because you’re not getting reps, or if you get down because you didn’t get to play in the game very much, and you don’t keep improving, then you take away your chances to be a part of this team. There are just examples every week that are happening through the entire league. I thought T.J. Clemmings is improving since he got here. He is having an outstanding camp. He played well in the Hall of Fame Game. He gets thrown into action earlier in the game than he thought. I thought he played extremely well. He’s a young player with a bright future and he’s going to have to step it up. And our offensive line I think has played well in both games. Mike Harris looks awfully good at right guard. [Brandon] Fusco looks awfully good at left guard. Matt Kalil has had two good outings, so I think we’ve made progress and we’ve identified things in the offseason that we needed to do to help them be better. We identified things for them to do to get better and I think the culmination of those things is showing up.

Q: How tough is it for a rookie offensive lineman to come in and start Week 1? What are the real challenges involved? A: Well, the challenges to me end up being, as I always talk to him about, he’s got to learn how to manage a game, manage playing the position and he’s got to get to where he and Mike Harris are communicating at a high level. Then he’s got to understand the preparation that you have to have to play in this league and then understand that each week he’s going to go against probably the best player he’s played against to this point in his career. Obviously when you have a young lineman playing, it puts extra on the coaches. We’ve got to manage what we’re doing and make sure we put him in the best position to be successful.

Q: What kind of skillset do you see in T.J. Clemmings and do you see some of the traits that made him a top defensive end prospect from a few years ago?A: I think he’s improved a great deal and we spend a lot of extra time on pass protection. I think that’s where he’s really improved. He’s an explosive player, he’s got good feet, he uses his hands well. He’s inexperienced, that’s the one thing you’d say where he’s got to catch up.

Q: Have you guys considered bringing in a veteran free agent?A: Once again, that’s for Coach Zimmer and for Rick [Spielman]. I’m sure we’re going to look at all of the different options there, but if T.J. plays like he did Saturday night and like he did in that first game and keeps growing as a player and continues to play well out here, he should be able to be a very competitive player in this league.

Q: How disappointing is it for Phil Loadholt especially after coming back from an injury last year?A: Like I said, that’s the thing about this league that’s hard and sometimes it seems unfair. It’s just what it is. I feel for him because he’s a very conscientious guy, he’s an extremely hard worked and this game means a lot to him.

Q: Will you put more emphasis on tight ends helping out with the blocking with an inexperienced tackle?A: I don’t know if we can put any more emphasis than we’ve had. We, as I said, started in February and looked hard at everything we can do to help our protection. And it’s protection – everyone assumes it’s just the five linemen. It has to do with the backs, the tight ends, the quarterback getting the ball out, types of protections, calls in different situations, just doing everything we can to keep guys off the quarterback. The quarterback is going to get hit in this league. We looked at the top offenses in the league last year and the quarterbacks all get hit and they all get sacked. We just want to keep them to a minimum.

Q: Has Teddy showed you the ability to have a quick release?A: I really believe he did the second half of the season. I thought he did that at a very high level. We happened to last year play three or four of the best pass rush teams in the National Football League and when we looked at other teams playing against them, they had similar problems to what we had. We’re working hard so that we don’t have those problems. I think Teddy is very in-tuned with what we’re trying to get done in terms of trying to get the ball out. I think all three of our quarterbacks did an outstanding job on Saturday night getting the ball thrown quickly, making good decisions. As I said, we can help them some with different style passes, different styles of protection. That’s our goal.

Q: Is he getting better going to his fifth or fourth option during the preseason so far?A: I think it shows up more in practice than it does in games. In games, we’ve been able to get to the primary receiver quite a few times. That’s our ultimate goal. The more you play, the more snaps you play, the more situations where that doesn’t come up. But he’s a very quick decision-maker and I’m always going to relate to when he played at his best that last third of the season. As I tell you, I’m not a big stat guy, but I don’t see us as the 28th-rated passing game in the league last year because over the last six weeks, we were probably a top 10 passing game and that’s what we’re trying to build on.

Q: What about Shaun Hill? It looked like he had good command of the offense the other night.A: When you’ve played as much as he has, you know what’s happening really before it happens. Sometimes you can get through your reads too quickly, but I think he handled it ex-tremely well. He got the ball out when he needed to, he made good decisions at the line in terms of getting us in and out of the right plays. He made good throws, he made a good throw to Cordarrelle [Patterson] on the go route against cover two and he made a good throw to [Adam] Thielen on the crossing route.

Q: With a guy like Shaun Hill, does he remember 2007 or was it just a pick up where he left off? A: I relay it. With a guy like him, I don’t remember ’07 I don’t know that he does either. He knows how to play football and he understands our system and he appreciates the way that we coach and teach the quarterback to play, he’s very comfortable with it. We try to simplify it as much as we can for those guys. It’s not clinic talk, it’s football. It’s real football and I think he appreciates that and he responds to it. If he has to play, I would expect him to play at a real high level.

Q: With Zach Line’s performance, are you committed to keeping a fullback on roster?A: You’re talking to the wrong guy when you’re talking about the 53-man squad or how many guys we keep on offense, but Zach Line is a very good football player. He’s a very versatile football player, he can play fullback, he can play halfback, he can play on special teams. He’s having an outstanding training camp, so I see him as a valuable part of our offense.

Q: How are you planning to divide up the snaps between the 3rd and 4th quarterbacks in the final few preseason games?A: We haven’t talked about that. We try to split it up in practice and then in the games, obviously, Mike Kafka has got a lot more experience than Taylor [Heinicke] so we wanted to give Taylor an opportunity to really try to catch him up and see how he handles things. He’s handled things well at this point. Those discussions will be Wednesday and Thursday, how we play this game.

FROM THE NORV TURNER


Q: When you were a head coach and you were putting your final 53-man roster together, how often did you make your decisions based on a pre-determined number at each position and how often did you make adjustments based on personnel?A: I’ve never been anywhere where we’ve had a set number on offense or defense. Really, I kind of looked at it, and still do, and if I’m asked to comment or asked for my opinion on things. I think you really get down to picking a 46-man squad that you would play on Sundays and then after that, I think you take the best players that are there. If it ends up being more on offense or more on defense, you want to keep the 53 best players and I think that’s one of the things here we do extremely well, is evaluate our players and do a good job of evaluating them. Sometimes you get caught up in if a guy was drafted or not drafted or when he was drafted. I think if you stick to taking the 53 best players, it could come out overbalanced one way or the other.

Q: How much of the offense do you hold back during the preseason despite it being early in Teddy Bridgewater’s career?A: A lot of it. We do the things we need to do to go play a preseason game. We spend a lot of time in practice that we’re going to use, get ready to use early in the season, things that we’re going to use in specific situations, 3rd downs, redzone, 2-minute, those type of things. Our 3rd downs have not been very good to this point, we’ve been in way too many 3rd and real long. Part of that is by our selection and what we’re doing and part of it is, like I said, we’ve been in way too many 3rd and longs.

FROM THE HEAD COACH


2015 VIKINGS COACHING STAFFNORV TURNEROffensive Coordinator

Norv Turner enters his 31st season of NFL coaching in 2015 and his 2nd as Offensive Coordinator of the Vikings. A veteran head coach and coordinator, Turner has 15 seasons as an NFL head coach under his belt and as an offensive coordinator for Dallas he helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVII (vs. Buffalo, 1992) and XXVIII (vs. Buffalo, 1993). Norv Turner enters his 31st season of NFL

coaching in 2015 and his 2nd as Offensive Coordinator of the Vikings. A veteran head coach and coordinator, Turner has 15 seasons as a head coach under his belt and as offensive coordinator for Dallas he helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVII (vs. Buffalo, 1992) and XXVIII (vs. Buffalo, 1993).

In his 1st season with the Vikings, Turner’s offense hit its stride during the sec-ond half of the season after a myriad of circumstances led to early struggles. Turner led rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater to the best season for a rookie QB in team history. Bridgewater was thrust into the starting lineup after starting QB Matt Cassel suffered a season-ending foot injury in the 3rd game of the season. In Bridgewater’s 1st career start vs. Atlanta (9/28/14), Turner’s game plan guided Bridgewater to a season high 317 passing yards, helping the offense pile up 558 net yards, the 4th most in team history, in a 34-6 win. Bridgewater set virtually every franchise rookie passing record and had the 3rd best completion percent-age (64.6%) and the 7th-highest passer rating (85.2) in a season in NFL history by a rookie. Bridgewater finished 259-of-402 for 2,919 passing yards, 14 TDs and 12 INTs as well 47 rushes for 209 yards and a TD, becoming the 1st QB under Turner to rush for over 200 yards in a season.

With Adrian Peterson missing all but 1 game in 2014, Turner had to rely on inexperienced RBs Matt Asiata and rookie 3rd-rounder Jerick McKinnon. Asiata powered his way to 9 rushing TDs in 2014, tied for 3rd in the NFL, after having only 3 in his opening 3 seasons in the League. On 2 separate occasions in 2014, Asiata tied the team record rushing with 3 TDs in a game (vs. Atlanta, 9/21 & vs. Washington, 11/2). McKinnon, who was an option QB at FCS Georgia Southern, had a productive rookie campaign rushing for 538 on 113 carries (4.8 avg.) in 11 games before missing the final 5 games of the season due to injury. For only the 3rd time since becoming an Offensive Coordinator in 1991 (24 seasons), Turner had multiple 500+ yard rushers – 2014 Minnesota Vikings (Asiata-570 & McK-innon-538), 2010 San Diego Chargers (Tolbert-735 & Mathews-678) and 1997 Washington Redskins (Allen-724 & Davis-567). Despite never seeing the field in a NFL game prior to 2014, Turner helped WR Charles Johnson, a midseason signing from Cleveland’s practice squad, record 31 receptions for 475 yards and 2 TDs in 12 games for the Vikings. Johnson, a NCAA Division II product from Grand Valley State, progressed immensely throughout the season earning the starting nod in 6 contests. Veteran WRs Greg Jennings and Jarius Wright also had productive seasons in 2014, Wright set career highs with 42 catches for 588 yards. Turner was raised in the Bay Area suburb of Martinez, CA and attended Alhambra High. As a standout QB and DB, Turner earned a scholarship to Oregon where he was a 3-year letterman for the Ducks (1972-74). Turner and wife, Nancy, have 3 children. The eldest, Scott, serves on the Vikings coaching staff working with the QBs after working as an assistant coach with Carolina (2011-12) and Cleveland (2013).

GEORGE EDWARDSDefensive Coordinator

George Edwards returns as the Vikings Defensive Coordinator in 2015 after making significant strides in changing the defense in his first season in 2014. In his second season with the club, Edwards will look to con-tinue to build on the NFL’s most improved defense. Ed-wards’ stint with the Vikings marks his third as an NFL De-

fensive Coordinator after working in Washington (2003) and Buffalo (2010-2011) in the same capacity. The 2015 season will be Edwards’ 18th season in the NFL and 25th season as a coach, all spent on the defensive side of the ball.

Inheriting the defense that allowed the most points per game and second-most yards per game in 2013, Edwards helped turn the Vikings defense around in his first year as defensive coordinator in 2014. With the help of rookie LB An-thony Barr, first-year starter DE Everson Griffen and S Harrison Smith, the Vikings had the NFL’s most improved defense in 2014, allowing 7.1 fewer offensive points per game in 2014 than in 2013. With a revamped defense that included 8 new starters, Edwards helped numerous Vikings have breakout seasons. Griffen, in his first year starting, recorded a career-best 12.0 sacks. Griffen was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month in October 2014 after recording 6.0 sacks and a forced fumble in a 4-game span. Smith led the Vikings defense with 5 intercep-tions and was the only player in the NFL with 3+ interceptions and 3.0+ sacks. Edwards played an instrumental role in the development of Barr, a rookie 1st-round pick (#9 overall). Before missing the final 4 games with a knee injury, Barr recorded 99 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 2 FR and 3 FFs. Barr was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 8 after forcing and recovering a fumble in OT and re-turning it for a TD. Free agent pickup DT Tom Johnson notched a career-high 6.5 sacks as he found a home on the Vikings line after a journeyman career.

Edwards entered the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys and remained there from 1998-2001. Serving as the LBs coach, Edwards worked under Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer who led the Cowboys’ defensive attack. Under Edwards’ guidance, Dexter Coakley, a 3rd-round draft choice in 1997, was selected to the Pro Bowl twice over the 4-year span (1999, 2001), as he was Dallas’ 2nd-leading tackler all 4 years.

Before making the leap to the NFL ranks, Edwards held collegiate assistant posts at Florida (1991), Appalachian State (1992-95), Duke (1996) and Georgia (1997).

A 4-year letterman at Duke University, Edwards was twice named the special teams captain and an honorable mention All-ACC selection at linebacker in 1989.

A native of Siler City, N.C., Edwards and his wife, Jami, have a son, B.J.

MIKE PRIEFERSpecial Teams Coordinator

Mike Priefer enters his 5th year with the Vikings organization as the Special Teams Coordinator in 2015. The 14-year NFL coaching veteran has held the same title with the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs in years past.Priefer’s special teams units are known for creating big-play opportunities. Since entering the NFL, Priefer has seen his

units account for 20 TDs (9 KOR, 6 PR, 3 blocked punts, 1 botched fake FG and 1 safety). He has also seen his squads block 22 kicks (9 punts, 8 FGs, 5 PATs) since 2002. Since Priefer joined the Vikings in 2011, Minnesota is tied with the Ravens and Eagles for the most special teams TDs with 8 (4 KOR, 2 PR and 2 blocked punts) over the 4-year span. Since joining the NFL, Priefer has helped David Tyree (ST), Chris Hanson (P), Blair Walsh (K) and Cordarrelle Patterson (RS) earn Pro Bowl nods. Both Walsh and Patterson were named 1st-Team Associated Press All-Pro as rookies, 2 of only 3 Vikings rookies to earn 1st-Team honors in team history. Priefer went to the playoffs with the Giants in 2005 (NFC East Champions), 2006 with Kansas City (Wild Card) and 2012 with the Vikings (Wild Card). In 2012, Priefer was named Special Teams Coach of the Year as voted on by his NFL counterparts and his units ranked #1 in the NFL by the acclaimed Dallas Morning News’ special teams rankings. In 2013, the Vikings showcased the #1 KR man in the NFL, Cordarrelle Patterson, and the #2 PR man in Marcus Sherels. Patterson was named 1st-Team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl after his record-breaking season. Patterson was also named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September and NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his Week 8 performance vs. Green Bay. The rookie broke the Vikings’ single-season kick return record with 1,393 kick return yards, on 43 returns, and a 32.4 return average with 2 KR TDs, leading the NFL in all categories. The 32.4 KR average is 4th-highest in the NFL since the 1970 merger and highest since 1985. Patterson tied the single-season team-record with 2 KR TDs (105t, 109t), also leading the NFL. Patterson’s 109-yard KR TD (10/27/13 vs. GB) was the longest kick return in NFL history. The Vikings average starting position was the 27.2 yard line in 2013. That is the best starting position in the NFL since the NFL moved kickoffs to the 35-yard line in 2010. Not to be outdone, PR Marcus Sherels set the team-record with a 15.2 PR average, good for 2nd in the NFL in 2013. The 2012 season saw the Vikings’ special teams units reach new heights. Priefer’s KOR unit ranked 2nd in the NFL with a 24.6 average start following kickoffs. Rookie kicker Blair Walsh made NFL history going 10-10 on FGs of 50+ yards while being selected to his first Pro Bowl along with being named 1st-Team All-Pro by the AP. Prior to joining the Vikings in 2011, Priefer had served as an NFL special teams coach for 9 seasons – Jacksonville (2002), New York Giants (2003-05), Kansas City (2006-08) and Denver (2009-10). From 1994-2001, Priefer coached special teams at the collegiate level, working for Navy (1994-96), Youngstown State (1997-98), VMI (1999) and Northern Illinois (2000-01). Priefer owns a bachelor’s degree from Navy and received a master’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1997. His father, Chuck, was a long-time coach who worked in the NFL (Detroit, Green Bay and San Diego) for 17 seasons and coached at the collegiate level for 12 years. Priefer was born in Cleveland and moved frequently as a coach’s son, graduating from high school in Green Bay. He is married to Debbie, and the couple has four children: Samantha, Michael Jr., Wilson and Katie.

JEFF DAVIDSON Offensive Line CoachRYAN FICKEN Assistant Special Teams CoachHANK FRALEY* Assistant Offensive Line CoachJONATHAN GANNON* Assistant Defensive Backs CoachJERRY GRAY Defensive Backs CoachJEFF HOWARD* Defensive AssistantJEFF HURD Assistant Strength & Conditioning CoachANDREW JANOCKO* Coaching AssistantEVAN MARCUS Strength & Conditioning CoachANDRE PATTERSON Defensive Line CoachDREW PETZING* Coaching AssistantROBERT RODRIGUEZ* Assistant Defensive Line CoachKEVIN STEFANSKI Tight Ends CoachGEORGE STEWART Wide Receivers Coach SCOTT TURNER Quarterbacks CoachKIRBY WILSON Running Backs CoachADAM ZIMMER* Linebackers Coach*Denotes coaches in booth on gamedays along with Norv Turner

2015 ASSISTANT COACHES

P S 2 - R A I D E R S A T V I K I N G S - 1 0

#26 TRAE WAYNES• CB

6-0 • 190 • Michigan State

1st Round • #11 Overall

Trae Waynes is the highest-drafted DB in Vikings history and the 5th DB selected in the 1st round. He appeared in 36 games at Michigan State, making 27 starts and was a major part of a stingy Spartan defense that ranked in the top 10 in total defense the past two seasons while serving as a full-time starter. Recorded 101 career-tackles, 6 INTs- 3 each in 2013 and 2014- and 13 pass break ups. Snagged 1st career INTs vs. Minnesota (11/30/13), collecting 2 in the contest. Won the Big Ten Championship in 2013 defeating Ohio State and went on to beat Stanford in the 2014 Rose Bowl that same season. The Spartans were 4-0 in bowl games during tenure winning the 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl and 2015 Cotton Bowl. Waynes earned 2nd-Team All-American and 1st-Team All-Big Ten as a junior in 2014.

#99 DANIELLE HUNTER • DE

6-5 • 252 • LSU

3rd Round • #88 Overall

Danielle Hunter was the 3rd of 3 defensive players drafted by the Vikings with their opening 3 picks in 2015. The last LSU player drafted by the Vikings was DT Henry Thomas in the 3rd round (#72) of the 1987 draft. Hunter has only played 5 seasons of football, 2 as a prep and 3 in college, before being selected in the NFL. A full-time starter for the Tigers as a sophomore and junior. Played in 38 games with 23 starts, capping his career with 23 consecutive starts. Finished with 4.5 sacks and 21.0 tackles for loss in his career along with 142 tackles. The Jamaica, native started all 13 games as a junior and scored his lone career TD vs. Mississippi State when he picked up a QB Dak Prescott fumble and rumbled 25 yards for the score on the 1st play of the 2nd half. Parents are of Jamaican descent, the family moved to the United States when Danielle was 8 years old.

#54 ERIC KENDRICKS• LB

6-0 • 232 • UCLA

2nd Round • #45 Overall

Eric Kendricks is UCLA’s all-time leading tackler with 481 career stops. He led the nation in solo tackles (101) in 2014. Selected in the 2nd Round with the #45 overall pick in 2015 NFL Draft, the 8th LB chosen in the draft. Kendricks was a former college roommate and teammate of 2014 1st Round selection, Anthony Barr. Joins brother, Mychal, in the NFL who was selected #46 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012. The Fresno, CA., native became UCLA’s 1st Butkus Award winner in 2014 and won the Lott IMPACT Trophy, marking the 2nd straight season a Bruin has won that award (Anthony Barr, 2013). Earned All-American praise as a senior. Named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll each year from 2011-14. Kendricks was a ”Leap Year” baby born on February 29, 1992 in Clovis, CA and is 1 of 8 siblings.

#68 T.J. CLEMMINGS • OL

6-5 • 309 • Pittsburgh

4th Round • #110 Overall

T.J. Clemmings was the 1st of 3 offensive linemen selected by Minnesota in the 2015 draft, the 10th offensive tackle selected in the 2015 draft. Began college career as a defensive lineman at Pittsburgh, played alongside DT Aaron Donald, who was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the 1st round (#13 overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft. Clemmings turned down several Division I basketball scholarships to pursue his football career at Pittsburgh. Full name is Trevor Anthony Clemmings, Jr. Named 2nd-Team All-American by Football Writers of America in 2014. 1st-Team All-ACC by media and coaches in 2014. 3-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week (Boston College, Virginia Tech, Duke). The Teaneck, N.J., native started all 13 games at RT as a junior and senior. 4-year letter winner, was named offensive captain for the 2014 season.

2015 VIKINGS DRAFT SELECTIONS


#83 MyCOLE PRUITT• TE

6-2 • 258 • Southern Illinois


MyCole Pruitt was the 1st player drafted by the Vikings from Southern Illinois. The highest-drafted SIU player since the NY Giants selected Brandon Jacobs in the 4th round of the 2005 Draft. Pruitt capped a record-setting career at SIU as a 2-time consensus 1st-Team All-America choice and 3-time 1st-Team All-MVFC choice. Set SIU record for career receptions (221), single-season record for receptions (81) and ranks 2nd in school history in receiving yards (2,601) and receiving TDs (25). Caught a pass in 43 of 44 career games. Set Missouri Valley Football Conference record for a TE in catches, receiving yards and TDs. Earned spot as the best TE in MVFC history as part of the 30-year conference anniversary. The St. Louis, MO., native attended same high school, Kirkwood High, as Chiefs WR Jeremy Maclin. Was a 4-year honor roll student in high school. Shares the same alma mater as Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman.

#14 STEFON DIGGS • WR

6-0 • 190 • Maryland


Following his impressive junior season at Maryland, the Vikings selected Stefon Diggs in the 5th round (#146) of the 2015 NFL Draft, the 14th WR drafted in 2015. Diggs was the 1st Terrapin selected by the Vikings since TE Jeff Dugan (7th round, #220) in 2004. Shares alma mater with veteran Vikings QB Shaun Hill. Started 24 of his 28 career games at Maryland. Finished college career with 150 receptions, 2,227 yards and 14 TDs in 28 games. The Gaithersburg, MD., native tallied 62 receptions for 792 yards and 5 TDs as a junior, his final year at Maryland. Named 2nd-Team All-Big Ten by the league’s coaches in 2014.

#90 B.J. DUBOSE• DE

6-4 • 284 • Louisville


B.J. Dubose was selected in the 6th round (#193 overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft. Was the 2nd of 2 DEs drafted by the Vikings in 2015, marking the 2nd straight season the Vikings drafted a player from Louisville, joining QB Teddy Bridgewater. Dubose appeared in 44 games at Louisville, making 20 starts. Was a member of the same recruiting class as Teddy Bridgewater and also played on the same 7-on-7 team, South Florida Express, where Dubose played TE and LB. The Oakland Park, FL., native had a career year as a senior earning Honorable Mention All-ACC honors and starting all 13 games, totaling 41 tackles, 4.0 sacks and 7.5 TFLs, all career bests. Totaled 94 tackles 7.5 sacks, and 15.5 TFLs in his 4-year career.

#72 TYRUS THOMPSON • OL

6-5 • 324 • Oklahoma


Tyrus Thompson was the 2nd of 3 offensive linemen drafted by the Vikings in 2015. Joins Phil Loadholt (2nd round, 2009) as recent Oklahoma OTs drafted by the Vikings. Was the 5th of 6 OU players drafted in 2015. Capped college career with 1st-Team All-Big 12 honors from conference coaches and 2nd-Team honors from the Associated Press in 2014. Started 29 career games for Sooners, named full-time starter as a junior and senior. Started all 13 games at LT as a senior, seeing final OU action in Russell Athletic Bowl against Clemson. Got married to Olivia-Elyse in his 2nd year at Oklahoma and the couple has 2 kids. Thompson was born in Germany while his father was stationed abroad as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army.



#74 AUSTIN SHEPHERD• OL

6-4 • 315 • Alabama


Austin Shepherd became just the 4th Crimson Tide member ever drafted by the Vikings, the 1st since Dwayne Rudd in 1997. The 3rd of 3 OL drafted by the Vikings on the 3rd day of the 2015 NFL Draft and 1-of-2 SEC players in the Vikings 2015 Draft Class, joining LSU’s Danielle Hunter. Shepherd started 27 career games at RT for Alabama, helping Alabama to back-to-back National Titles following the 2011 and 2012 seasons. As a 2-year starter, allowed only 2 sacks. All 27 starts came in final 2 years at Alabama, allowing just 1 sack during the 2014 season en route to earning 2nd-Team All-SEC honors. The Buford, GA., native helped lead an offensive line that averaged 206.6 yards rushing per game in 2014, which ranked 7th in the SEC and 30th nationally.

#40 EDMOND ROBINSON• LB

6-0 • 232 • Newberry


Edmond Robinson was selected in the 7th round (#232 overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft and was the 1st NCAA Division II player taken in the 2015 NFL Draft. 1-of-2 Division II players to participate in the NFL Combine and the East-West Shrine game. Joins 3 other former Wolves in the NFL, including Vikings TE Brandon Bostick. Joins Bostick, WRs Adam Thielen and Charles Johnson and G Brandon Fusco as former NCAA Division II athletes on the Vikings roster. 1st Newberry alumnus selected in the NFL Draft since 1974. Robinson was Newberry’s leading tackler during the 2015 season with 68 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 5 PBUs and 2 FRs during the 2014 campaign. A 1st team all-South Atlantic Conference selection and East-West Shrine Game participant following senior season. The Wadmalaw Island, S.C., native earned 1st team All-SAC honors for 2 consecutive years and was also a Daktronics 1st team all-Super Region 2 honoree as a junior in 2013



#20 DuJUAN HARRIS • RB 5-7 • 206 • TroyNFL Experience: 5

DuJuan Harris signed with the Vikings on 3/19/15. Harris was a member of the Green Bay Packers for 3 seasons (2012-14), spending the entire 2013 season on injured reserve. The Brooksville, FL., native had a career game in the Wild Card playoff round vs. Minnesota (1/5/12) when he rushed 17 times for 47 yards and a TD and caught 5 passes for 53 yards. The former Trojan tied a Packers franchise record by rushing for a TD in back-to-back playoff games during the 2012 playoffs.

#13 SHAUN HILL • QB6-3 • 220 • MarylandNFL Experience: 14

Shaun Hill returned to Minnesota for his 2nd stint with the Vikings on 3/11/15. Hill started a career-high 10 games with Detroit in 2010, replacing injured QB Mat-thew Stafford, finishing with 2,686 yards and 16 TDs. Played under Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner in San Francisco during the 2006 season. The Maryland prod-uct originally joined the Vikings as a rookie free agent in 2002 and played for club 2002-05, being allocated to Amsterdam of NFL Europa for 2003 season.

#91 CAESAR RAYFORD • DE6-7 • 267 • WashingtonNFL Experience: 2

Caesar Rayford joined the Vikings in April 2015 and took part in off-season conditioning program. The Washington product continues to pursue an NFL career after playing in Arena League and Canadian Football League. Rayford went to training camp with Indianapolis in 2013 and was traded to Dallas where he saw his 1st career action on 9/22/13 vs. St. Louis. The Spanaway, WA., native began his pro career with British Columbia Lions of the CFL in 2008 and later helped Spokane Shock to the Arena Football 2 title in 2009.

#47 KEVIN McDERMOTT • LS6-5 • 250 • UCLANFL Experience: 3

Kevin McDermott originally signed with San Francisco following the 2013 NFL draft as a rookie free agent (5/7/13). He played in all 16 regular season games for the 49ers and 3 playoff games in 2013, advancing to the NFC Championship. During the 2014 season, McDermott signed with the Baltimore Ravens on 10/20/14, where he played in 7 games. The former Bruin was college teammates with P Jeff Locke at UCLA, serving as the primary long snapper for Locke in 2011 and 2012.

#4 MIKE KAFKA • QB 6-3 • 230 • NorthwesternNFL Experience: 4

Mike Kafka joined the Vikings as a free agent on 4/2/15. The Chicago native has seen action in 4 career games, all in 2011 with Philadelphia, where he tossed a career-long 43-yard pass to Jeremy Maclin in his 1st career game at Atlanta (9/18) when he replaced starter Michael Vick. Kafka spent time in 2014 on the Tampa Bay practice squad and active roster. Also spent time in training camp 2013 with Jacksonville. The Northwestern product entered the NFL as a 4th-round draft pick (#122) with Philadelphia in 2010.

#30 TERENCE NEWMAN • CB 5-10 • 197 • Kansas StateNFL Experience: 13

Terence Newman, a 2-time Pro Bowl honoree (‘07, ‘09) ranks 3rd among all active NFL players with 37 career INTs. Newman played for Mike Zimmer in Dallas from 2003-06 and in Cincinnati from 2012-13. Newman has played in 174 games, starting 172. Originally drafted by Dallas in the 1st round (#5 overall) of the 2003 NFL draft, currently ranks 2nd among all active DBs with 174 games played trailing only Charles Woodson (238). The Kansas State product also played for Vikings Linebackers Coach Adam Zimmer when he was the Assistant DBs coach for the Bengals during the 2013 season. Newman helped Dallas rank in the top-10 in total defense 5 times in his 9 years as a Cowboy and aided Cincinnati to a top-10 ranking 2 out of 3 years. The Salina, KS., native has been on 7 playoff bound teams, including 2 division-winning squads (Dallas - ‘07 & ‘09). Has played in 7 career playoff games, starting 6. Appeared in 133 games with 131 starts recording 33 INTs with the Cowboys from 2003-11. Newman grabbed 5 INTs and started all 41 games he appeared in with the Bengals the past 3 seasons. Signed with the Vikings on 3/27/15.

#89 RYAN WHALEN • WR6-1 • 200 • StanfordNFL Experience: 4

Ryan Whalen joined the Vikings as a free agent during 2015 training camp. Whalen was a 6th round selection by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Stanford. The Alamo, California, native spent three seasons with the Bengals before being released following the 2014 preseason. Whalen has appeared in 17 games for Cincinnati snaring 11 receptions for 80 yards in addition to six special teams tackles. The fourth year pro played in four games and the Wild Card playoff game as a rookie. Whalen played for the Bengals while Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer served as Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator from 2011-13.

#45 BRIAN PETERS • LB6-3 • 235 • Northwestern

•Signed with the Vikings on 2/23/15 after spending the 2013-14 seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Won the 101st Grey Cup with the Roughriders following the 2013 season. Recorded 5 special teams tackles in the game. Started all 18 games and 1 playoff game in 2014, led the defense in tackles with 78 while adding 3 sacks, 2 INTs with 1 returned 15 yards for a TD vs. Calgary, 1 FF and team-high 20 special teams tackles. Appeared in 3 playoff games including a winning performance in the Grey Cup where he recorded 5 special teams tackles in 2013. Prior to CFL stint, Peters played with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League in 2012. The Pickerington, OH., native played 4 (2008-11) seasons at Northwestern while redshirting as a freshman (2007). Started 13 games his senior season, finishing with 92 tackles, 5 interceptions, 1 sack and 2 force fumbles. Named1st-Team All-Big Ten as well as Academic All-Big Ten honoree

2015 VIKINGS OFFSEASON ADDITIONS


#81 BRANDON BOSTICK • TE6-3 • 250 • NewberryNFL Experience: 3

Brandon Bostick signed with Vikings on 2/18/15 off waivers from Green Bay. The Newberry product has appeared in 24 games, all with Green Bay, totaling 9 catches for 123 yards and 2 TDs in his career. Bostick played in a career-best 13 games in 2014 and appeared in 11 games in 2013. Originally signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent after participating in the team’s rookie orientation camp on a tryout basis in 2012 and spent the entire 2012 season on the Packers practice squad. Was a member of 3 NFC North title teams (2012-14). Joins 3 other former Wolves in the NFL, including Vikings LB Edmond Robinson. Joins Robinson, WRs Adam Thielen and Charles Johnson and G Brandon Fusco as former NCAA Division II athletes on the Vikings roster.

#11 MIKE WALLACE • WR6-0 • 200 • MississippiNFL Experience: 7

Mike Wallace started 80 of 95 games played since being drafted in the 3rd round (#84 overall) by Pittsburgh in 2009. Wallace was traded to Minnesota on 3/13/15 af-ter signing with Miami as an unrestricted free agent on 3/12/13. The Ole Miss product started all 32 games in his 2 seasons with the Dolphins, establishing a career-high 73 catches in 2013 and tied his career-high with 10 TDs in 2014. The New Orleans, native totaled 4,042 receiving yards and 32 TDs in his 4 seasons in Pittsburgh, including consecutive 1,000+ receiving yard seasons in 2010 and 2011. Wallace earned his lone Pro Bowl nod in 2011 after posting 72 catches for 1,193 and 8 TDs. Had a 21.0 yards per catch average in 2010, the 2nd best in a single season in the NFL since 2009. Was a vital part of Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl run following the 2010 season starting 2 of the 3 playoff games. Wallace caught 9 passes for 89 yards and a TD in Super Bowl XLV on 2/6/11 against Green Bay. Has played in 4 career playoff games start-ing 3 while totaling 16 catches for 141 yards and a TD. Wallace led the NFL with a 19.4 yards per catch average during his rookie season in 2009. Has netted 200 career rushing yards on 27 attempts.

#37 DeMARCUS VAN DYKE • CB6-1 • 185 • MiamiNFL Experience: 4

DeMarcus Van Dyke was originally a 3rd-round selection (#81) by Oakland in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Miami, FL.,native played in 14 games earning 4 starts in his rookie season with the Raiders and appeared in 11 games during the 2012-13 campaigns with Pittsburgh. Van Dyke went to training camp and spent the 2014 preseason with the Kansas City Chiefs. Van Dyke was teammates with WR Mike Wallace in Pittsburgh during the 2012 campaign. Van Dyke will face all 3 of his former teams in 2015.

#33 JOSH THOMAS • CB5-11 • 187 • BuffaloNFL Experience: 5

Thomas spent a part of the 2014 season with four different clubs. The Cedar Hill, Texas, native spent training camp with the Carolina Panthers and then saw action in the regular season with the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and Detroit Lions. Thomas originally entered the NFL as a 5th round draft choice (143rd overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2011 NFL Draft. He spent training camp with Dallas before being claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers. Thomas spent three seasons in Carolina, with his best season coming in 2013 when he made 13 appearances (six starts) as part of a defensive unit that ranked second in the league in total defense. Thomas played collegiately at Buffalo.

#69 GREG HICKMAN • CB6-1 • 294 • Florida InternationalNFL Experience: 1

Greg Hickman joined the Vikings as a free agent entering the 2015 season during training camp. Hickman was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent following the 2014 NFL Draft out of Florida International where he played on the same defensive line as Isame Faciane who is transitioning to G for the Vikings. The Tampa Bay, FL., native tallied 116 total tackles (82 solo), 13 sacks (72 yards), three interceptions, four pass breakups and seven forced fumbles in his collegiate career with the Panthers. Detroit released Hickman on 8/23/14, he then played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 9/21/14 to 4/30/15.

2015 VIKINGS OFFSEASON ADDITIONS


#69 BABATUNDE AIYEGBUSI • T6-9 • 351 • No college

• Native of Olesnica, Poland, becomes the 5th Polish-born player in NFL history after signing with the Vikings on 3/26/15.

•Played for the Dresden Monarchs of the German Football League in 2014, helping the Monarchs advance to the semifinal round of the German Football League Playoffs.

•Played for the Wroclaw Giants of the Polish American Football League in 2013.

•Was named the 2013 PLFA Best Offensive Lineman Player of the Year, helping his team to the 2013 Polish Championship.

•Attended the Academy of Physcial Education from 2006-08 before leaving to pursue dream of playing professional football while working in security.

•Played basketball at Jan Kilinski as a prep.

#38 JUSTIN COLEMAN • CB5-11 • 185 • Tennessee

• Started 4 of 12 games played as a freshman, 1 of 16 true freshmen to play for the Vols in 2011.

•Became the 1st true freshman DB to start for Tennessee since Eric Berry in 2007.

•As a sophomore, started 9 of 12 games played, finished 4th on the team with 59 tackles, added 3.5 TFLs and 3 PDs.

•Started all 25 games played over final 2 seasons with the Vols.

•Finished 2013 campaign with 46 tackles, 8 PDs and an INT returned for a TD.

•As a senior in 2014, tied for 4th in the SEC with 4 INTs.

•Made 4 tackles in the 2015 East-West Shrine Game following.

•Participated in track and field in addition to football at Brunswick HS, in Brunswick, GA.

#16 DaVARIS DANIELS • WR6-1 • 201 • Notre Dame

•The son of Phillip Daniels, who played 15 seasons in the NFL for Seattle, Chicago and Washington.

•Out of football in 2014.

•Started 8 of 12 games as a junior in 2013 for Notre Dame.

•Finished 2013 campaign 2nd on the team with 720 receptions on 46 receptions with 7 TDs.

•Posted a career-best 115 yards receiving on 6 catches in the 2013 BCS National Championship.

•Played in 11 games with 3 starts as a sophomore in 2012, posted 31 receptions for 490 yards.

•Did not see game action during the 2011 campaign.

•Teammates with Vikings safeties Harrison Smith and Robert Blanton at Notre Dame in 2011.

•Accounted for 19 total TDs senior season at Vernon Hills HS in Vernon Hills, IL.

•3-sport athlete HS athlete, also competed in basketball and track and field.

#62 TOM FARNIOK • C6-3 • 301 • Iowa State

•Joins LB Chad Greenway as the only South Dakota natives on the Vikings roster.

•Linemates with Vikings T Carter Bykowski in 2010-12 at Iowa State.

•Started all 12 Cyclone games in

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